Pokémon: Glimpse
by AlexChahill
Summary: Wyatt, at 18, has never left on a pokémon journey, but now, the opportunity presents itself. A more mature view of the pokémon world, where the relationship between people, pokémon and nature is explored.
1. Chapter 1

With loads of things getting in the way for me, I haven't done any serious writing in a long time. Writing this fanfiction has really helped me get back into the swing of things, allowing me to have a base to build on. I've always wanted to expand on the Pokémon universe. I think there is so much more to explore about their world. The thing I am most interested is the everyday lives of the people within this universe, and the way in which pokémon live and interact with the world. I have only ever read one pokémon fanfiction before, and I have never attempted to write any fanfiction myself. So I ask you to bear with me, I have many great ideas in mind for the future of this story, so please help me out with any comments and constructive criticism you may have.

I hope you enjoy it!

CHAPTER ONE

Soft grass tickled my face as it swayed in the light breeze of the meadow. In the distance, a group of Cottonee jumped and danced, their light bodies keeping aloft in the air. A harsh buzz, like the sound of an angry Beedrill, interrupted the tranquillity of the scene. I sat up, allowing myself a moment to take in the natural splendour around me. To my right, a grassy plain filled with a range of Grass pokémon, playing, dancing, and some even battling. To my left, a small river gurgled and splashed, with a school of Mantyke soaring out of the water in a single bound, their smiling pattern on their backs laughing and giggling.

Again, the harsh buzz surfaced, but this time, it brought with it the eruption of a newly formed volcano. The cone rose beneath me, lifting me up to the clouds as lava spewed from within.

I woke with a jolt as my pokénav vibrated on the desk next to my bed. I was covered in sweat, my loose t-shirt sticking to my chest. I grabbed my pokénav and flipped it open to reveal that I had a missed call from my best friend Shay. What I also saw was that it was half seven in the morning. That idiot better have a good reason for waking me up this early on a Saturday.

After sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I called Shay. He picked up immediately, catching me mid-yawn.

"Wyatt oh my god man you're not going to believe it!" He shouted enthusiastically down the pokénav. My reply was less than enthusiastic, "Whatever it is, it had better be good enough to rip me cruelly from my sleep."

"My dad's just received a shipment from Kalos," he practically shouted down the phone.

"Let me guess: a mysterious stone?" Shay's family had a weird obsession about rare and mysterious stones, from gems to fossils to Mega Stones, anything they could get their hands on really.

"How did you know?", I rolled my eyes, "But yeah, two fossils from Kalos. My dad said he's going to revive them today!"

"And so you decided to wake me up at this hour of the morning to tell me that? Your dad's company revives fossils nearly everyday." Although I was cranky at having been woken up from my deep sleep, the idea of seeing two new pokémon was actually pretty exciting. Although many pokémon native to Kalos now lived in Hoenn, I haven't even seen nor heard of what their Fossil pokémon were like.

"Oh my god Wyatt, these are new pokémon that haven't been seen in Hoenn before! My dad wants us to be there to see them when they wake up!" Shay was already an excitable guy, but things like this got him really worked up, as if TM 83 had been used on him, "So get your ass over to the Devon building as quickly as you can!"

The other line cut out and I put my pokénav back on my desk. Sitting for a few minutes in my bed, I eventually summoned up enough energy to get up and have a shower. Getting dressed, I put on Roxie's newest album, Toxic, and sang along as much as I could with the few lyrics I knew. When I was ready I left my room and walked into the small kitchen, where my mam was sitting reading the pokémon Pal while eating a kelpsey berry. She put down her magazine when she saw me, a smile spreading across her face as her eyes lit up and turned soft.

"What has you up so early? Decided that you want to contribute to the household and do some work? The dishwasher needs to be emptied and Purra needs to be fed." Not the nicest thing to be greeted with, but I knew she was only teasing. I help around the house plenty, and she always keeps the apartment clean when she gets the chance. Unlike a lot of women in Hoenn, she prefers to work instead of staying at home and being a traditional housewife. Maybe it was her upbringing in Unova, but she can't stand the thought of staying in all day. Of course, she also has two children to provide for, so getting a job was a necessity to keep a roof over our heads.

Well, that part is actually quite literal. My mam works for Devon, and Devon give their skilled employees low-cost accommodation in south Rustboro. The Devon Corporation treat their employees fairly, making them an attractive company to work for. That was part of the reason why my mam moved all the way from Unova to live here. That, and the fact that she fell in love with my dad.

"Shay says that his dad is going to revive some rare Kalos fossils or something, so I'm going to head over there to check it out." I answer.

"Well, at least take a berry with you before you leave." She hands me an aspear berry out of the fruit bowl sitting on the table as she stands up and fixes a loose piece of hair on my head. My blonde hair is shaggy, not long, but not short either. I never really put in effort to style it, letting it dry naturally after a shower, because I like the way it looks by itself. Unlike Shay, I don't spend a lot of time worrying about how my hair looks, a fact that he's jealous of because my hair looks great without any additional effort.

I take a bite out of my aspear berry just as Purra walks into the kitchen. Unsurprisingly, she looks as if she has just woken up in order to find a more comfortable spot to sleep on. Meowth are nocturnal pokémon, and Purra is no different. Most of her days are spent asleep, while her nights are spent wandering the streets of Rustboro. She often comes home carrying coins or badges and other shiny, circular objects, most of which end up stashed under my sister's bed where Purra has claimed as her hoarding spot.

"Right, well I should get going. Don't want to keep them waiting." I say as I hug her goodbye.

"Alright, well have fun, Wyatt. And tell Mr. Stone that I was asking for him!" She calls as I walk down the corridor outside our apartment to the elevator that will take me to the ground floor. When I finally exit the apartment building my home town of Rustboro comes into full view.

Unlike most towns and cities in Hoenn, Rustboro has a rustic, old-town appearance, with all of the streets and buildings being made of stone. Although it is not a historic city, the city planners decided to accomodate for the area's lack of history by designing many buildings with Gothic architecture. The large imposing forest of old has since been cut down by the Cutters to make way for an ever expanding city, the third largest in Hoenn. The wide, stone paved streets lead into winding, cobbled streets made for pedestrian use only. Using these streets it's easy to find a short cut to the north end of town, passing by many people and pokémon on their morning walks, or on their way to work. I pass by a group of Youngsters discussing their tactics on the best way to challenge Roxanne, Rustboro's Gym Leader.

Seeing the group of young boys, none older than maybe thirteen, makes me both frustrated and sad simultaneously. These kids are already on their journey with their pokémon, travelling away from home and into the unknown, forging deep bonds with their pokémon and learning many new things about their world, life and themselves. Going on a pokémon journey at a young age is often considered the norm. Most of my friends did it when they were around ten years old too. It seemed I was saying goodbye to someone everyday for a period of my life. Friends that I would've considered myself very close to would come back a changed person. They had this profound maturity about them that made it difficult to rekindle our friendship. They were no longer interested in the childish games we once played, instead only being focused on battling, or coordinating or other paths in life.

Soon after they returned to Rustboro many of them became restless. Unhappy with staying in Rustboro, they ventured off to explore more of the world, or to become better trainers or join the Rangers. Shay wasn't allowed to go on a journey, just like I wasn't. Before our friends left to travel Hoenn, we weren't very close. We knew each other from school and through mutual friends, but soon, as our friends started to leave one by one, we found ourselves spending more and more time together. Our shared frustration at not being allowed on our own journey only strengthened the bond that we had formed, and we have been inseparable ever since.

All of these thoughts passed through my mind as I made my way to the Devon building. The large, imposing stone building stood alone on a wide open plaza, where many benches were placed for employees to take their lunch breaks, or for tourists to sit and admire the Devon Corporation building. Devon was Rustboro's pride and joy; the beating heart of an ever expanding city.

Rustboro's motto of _"The city probing the integration of nature and science"_ was never more evident than in the Devon Corporation building. The building was a blend of modern and historic architecture, while at the same time looking as if it was carved straight out of a cliff face. Large glass windows met sharp stone steeples, with various stone Gligar adorning the walls, their intimidating faces meant to ward off evil spirits. Ivy crept over the building, adding a vibrant splash of green to the formidable grey and choking some of the stone Gligar. Hardy flowers seemed to grow in any spot big enough for them, their crimson and yellow petals swaying gently in the breeze. The building did not give off the impression that it was built a little over sixty years ago. The old superstitious Gligar were placed to give the building a rustic aesthetic, and the ivy was deliberately planted and trimmed to maintain a sense of nature reclaiming what was rightfully theirs. The flowers were planted in specific places and tended to carefully by gardeners in order to break the monochrome of grey stone.

I entered through the automatic glass doors into an air-conditioned lobby, simplistic in it's design. Men and women in suits waited patiently on the cream sofas, as employees walked to and fro from the elevators and adjoining doors, some carrying briefcases, others talking on their pokénav's and others wearing lab coats and holding clipboards.

Shay's unmistakable spiky purple hair caught my attention. He had his back to me, talking to a receptionist behind the counter, probably trying, in vain, to register her on his pokénav. I patted him on the shoulder when I neared and he turned to face me, immediately forgetting about the girl behind the counter. His eyes lit up with excitement as he saw me, probably remembering the fact that since I was here it was time to see the fossils.

"Wyatt what took you so long? I was waiting here forever." Yet another moment when a "Hello, great to see you" would have sufficed. Without waiting to hear an answer, Shay was dragging me towards the elevator, babbling on about how excited he was about the new fossils, how he's been thinking about what type of pokémon they were all day.

"They're all going to be Rock type of course. Only Rock type pokémon are capable of withstanding millions of years as revivable fossils. Otherwise there wouldn't be enough DNA to recreate them, they'd just be some interesting bones left in the dirt." He explained in the crowded elevator as we headed up to the third floor.

"But what will their secondary typing be? A Bug type would be cool. The Bug types were much bigger in the ancient world, like even bigger than Yanmega. But what about a Psychic type? Were they even developed enough back then for a Psychic type to exist? I don't even know, I'm just speculating, a wild guess really, because we'll have no way to-" The doors for the third floor opened and Shay, forgetting about whatever sentence he was about to say, pushed past the people in the elevator and out onto the third floor corridor.

"This way," He called out as he practically skipped down the corridors to a room at the far end of the left corridor. He came to a halt in front of a seemingly unmarked door. Shay practically grew up in this building, so I never doubted his sense of direction, even when it totally seemed as if he had no idea where we were going. He pushed open the doors to reveal a room filled with all sorts of complicated machinery: computers, large tubes filled with a strange orange liquid, sensors, analysers... None of it particularly made sense to me, but the Scientists scattered around the room seemed to be having a field day. The excitement in the room was palpable; these people must never have seen a Kalos fossil before too.

Straight ahead, sitting beneath protective glass casing, was two chunks of brown rock. Shay ran over to give them a closer look and I quickly followed, the excitement of all these people rubbing off me. One fossil didn't look like much to me; it was about the length of my forearm, rounded at one end and curving up at the other. What part of the pokémon's body it came from was beyond me. The other fossil was vaguely triangular in appearance, with four distinct tips at the larger end. A wing, maybe? But before I had time to think about it deeper, a booming voice erupted behind me.

"Let's get this show on the road, boys!" It was Mr. Stone, Shay's father, and more surprisingly, his brother, former Champion of the Hoenn region, Steven.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

"Steven!" Shay shouted when he saw his brother, "What're you doing back? I thought you were spending time with the tribesmen near Fortree?"

It was odd to see Steven again. Even though I've been close with Shay for around eight years now, I'd only ever met Steven on a handful of occasions. I'd seen him more often on televisions and in the newspaper, at first as Hoenn's champion, and then as Hoenn's most loved celebrity, made even more famous due to his relationship with Lisia, the Contest Spectacular idol. Whenever I met with Steven, I felt as if I had to be formal and on my guard for any clumsy mistakes that I might make.

"I was, but I came back to witness this special day." Steven smirked. His voice was as cool as Steel, sending goosebumps spreading up my arm. _Keep it together, you idiot._

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist seeing something this cool, Ste." Steven's arrival only caused Shay's excitement to escalate. It was funny to see how hyper Shay could get, but I knew that if he kept it up it would get on my nerves. Mr. Stone cleared his throat.

"So, are you boys ready to uncover the mysteries of the past?" Mr. Stone was always a kind man, never failing to fit in time to spend with his son. Over the years I'd come to see him as a respectable father figure, although I'd never dare say that to Shay or himself. Mr. Stone always sought to include me in family occasions, perhaps feeling guilt that Shay and I had become friends because he wouldn't let his son leave on a journey.

Steven had to wait until he was eighteen to go on his own journey, although he'd had his own pokémon by seventeen. It didn't seem as if Shay was getting any special treatment for being the youngest.

Steven walked over to the glass case that held the two fossils found in the Kalos region. "The Jaw and the Sail fossil. How interesting they look." He muttered, peering closely at the two fossils. Jaw and Sail? I would never have guessed that was what they were.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Mr. Stone commented as he peered over Steven's shoulder. At that moment, a Scientist approached the two Stones.

"Sir, the fossils are ready to be revived whenever you are ready." He states in a nasally voice. Mr. Stone chuckles softly.

"Then what are we waiting for? Fire ahead!" The various scientist's dotted around the room all received a renewed sense of vigour, dashing to their various positions and adjusting complicated systems on their computers. Shay leans closer to me, practically vibrating with excitement. Steven and Mr. Stone take a step back from the glass case holding the fossils.

The fossils are whisked away into the machine by mechanical clamps as charts and data zoom onto every monitor. An undercurrent of whispers spread amongst the scientists, perhaps discussing the procedure, or maybe just their excitement at seeing these new pokémon.

"Mr. Stone, do you know what type of pokémon will be revived from these fossils?" I ask politely. Mr. Stone looks away for a moment, thinking.

"I know their names and Types, but now that you mention it, I can't quite remember what they look like," He laughs to himself, "I saw a few photos a year or two ago when they were first discovered, but because this kind of thing is expensive, not many people own these pokémon or have even heard of them!"

At that moment, a female Scientist calls out, "Sir, the Sail Fossil has been successfully revived. It is stored in the PC, awaiting your orders to release it, sir."

"Wait until they're both ready, doctor. Don't rush the good things." Another minute passes, with Mr. Stone smiling to himself, Shay on the verge of exploding and Steven maintaining a cool composure, one arm resting on the other, a finger placed on his lips as if he was shushing himself. _Sail Fossil. It could still be a Flying type, sailing on the winds. Or maybe a Water type, like the sail of a boat?_

Not allowing Frustration to take effect, I focused on the range of data being presented on the monitors, but that didn't last long. None of it made any sense to me, and by now the excitement was really-

"Both fossils are successfully revived and awaiting to be released in the PC, Mr. Stone."

"Send 'em on out, good doctor. One at a time." The Scientist nodded and typed something into her computer. A hatch slid open to her left, containing a white Premier ball. She lifted it up, pointed it to the space between herself and us and hit the release button. The force of it pushed her hand back, but it was obvious that she was a Trainer at some point, as her stance allowed her to comfortably absorb the shock instead of dislocating her shoulder.

In a flash of red, a silhouette appeared, fading until a light blue, four legged pokémon was unveiled. It had a short, squat body with a long, slender neck. A blue crystal adorned both sides of its body, and beautiful flaps of skin, or sails as they must be, the colour of a sunrise, ran parallel down its back from its large, blue eyes

It blinked, looking from side to side, confused about its surroundings. Most people assume the fossil is brought back to life, as if the pokémon that had died was resurrected millions of years later, with the same memories of the past. However, the real case is that the pokémon is a clone of the fossil that was found, born again as if it was hatched from an Egg, just like any modern pokémon.

"Hello, Amaura." Steven cooed, kneeling down to the level of this prehistoric pokémon. He held out his hand, offering a poképuff to Amaura. I couldn't pull my eyes away from this beautiful creature. I wanted to leap with excitemnet and rush over to its side, examine every inch of it and find out more, but I know that if i did that, it would probably never trust me in its life.

The pokémon, Amaura, tentatively stretched out its neck towards Steven, pausing midway to make sure nobody was making any sudden movements. All around, the Scientists were waiting, eager to observe the fruits of their labour. Shay was starry-eyed, his hyper attitude replaced with awe. We watched as Amaura carefully nibbled on the poképuff until it was all gone. Bringing it's head back to an upright position, it took another wary glance around before smiling, it's eyes closing as it rises slightly on its hind legs. The peach colured sails on its head turn a shade of light green, surprising both me and the scientists, according to their startled gasps and hushed whispers.

Amaura wags its head around, it's long neck swaying. It walks quickly over to Steven, loooking for more poképuffs. Steven chuckles.

"Shay, why don't you feed it?" He asks, a smile in his voice. Shay nearly faints with excitement.

"Me? Are you sure? Really? Oh my god, yes please that would be so amazing I mean just look at it it's so cool and-" Steven laughs and hands Shay a few poképuffs. Amaura seems to recognise what they are as it follows them over to Shay, stretching it's head up try and get at one. Shay kneels down as his brother did, and places on his hand that he offers to Amaura. Shay can't help but giggle as it nibbles on the poképuff, its small, peg-like teeth trying to scrape the crumbs into its mouth. When it finishes eating, a thick, pink tongue emerges to lick Shay hand. He falls on his behind, laughing so much, and Amaura seems to laugh too, its sail again turning green.

"Doctor, tell us about this pokémon, would you please?" Mr. Stone asks, talking to the Scientist who released Amaura.

"Certainly sir. As Steven mentioned, this pokémon is called Amaura, the Tundra pokémon. Amaura is a female, according to our data. She is a dual Rock and Ice type pokémon, with the ability Refrigerate. The fossil we found was over 100 million years old, and in remarkable condition. The crystals that adorn it's body permanently remain at a freezing cold temperature, so I'd advise you not to touch them, unless you want to get frostbite. It currently knows the moves Growl and Powder Snow. That's about all we know of it, sir."

"Dad this is so cool!" Shay chuckles, petting Amaura on the head in between her sails.

"It is quite impressive. A job well done to the staff here today, you can bet your asses there'll be celebrations at lunch!" Mr. Stone replies, receiving a cheer from the Scientists who are clapping and congratulating each other.

"Wyatt, you have to have a look at her!" Shay calls over his shoulder. I'd begun to think that he'd forgotten about me in all the hullabaloo around Amaura. I walked closer, watching as Amaura followed me with her eyes. I reach my hand out towards her, as she stretched her head towards my hand, sniffing it, probably looking for more poképuffs. Seeing that I had no poképuffs, but also that I wasn't a threat, she rubs her head against my hand. Her scales are cool to the touch, yet soft. I kneel down and pet her, finding it very different than petting Purra at home, as she had no fur to scratch. I ended up just rubbing her, feeling awkward, but she seemed to enjoy it.

"Okay boys, why don't we put Amaura back in her pokeball for now while we take a look at the other fossil, hm?" Mr. Stone suggests. Shay and I stand up, leaving Amaura with a confused look on her face, as she was no longer the centre of our attention. The female scientist who released her holds out the Premier ball again.

"Amaura, return." She calls as a red light engulfs Amaura, sending her back to the confines of the pokeball.

"Thank you for allowing me to see this, Mr. Stone. I'm really appreciative of it" I said, only remembering now that I had forgotten to do so earlier. My mam would've smacked me across the head for my lack of manners. Mr. Stone let out a booming laugh and patted me on the back, obviously not realising his own strength as he pushed me forward a bit.

"Not at all, Wyatt. You're practically family! I couldn't have you missing out on something as enthralling as this, now could I?" Mr. Stone's remark made me blush, and I was once again thankful for all the Stone's have done for me. Just last summer, Mr. Stone took me and Shay to Sinnoh's Underground to dig for spheres and Fossils. I'd never been to Sinnoh before, and it was an honour being included in the Stone's family vacation. Steven couldn't make it, unfortunately, as he was competing in the Battle Frontier at the time.

"Are you ready to see the next Fossil pokémon, sir?" The scientist asked. Mr. Stone nodded and the Scientist again turned to her computer, issuing a command and picking up another Premier ball that emerged from the hatch. Standing in the typical Trainer stance with one leg placed firmly on the floor behind her, she hit the release on the pokeball and sent out the next pokémon. A beam of red light illuminated the space in between us, and finally, the pokémon was revealed.

A small, mostly brown pokémon emerged, around the same height as Amaura's body, standing on two legs. Two large eyes sat above a powerful looking jaw, the lower side of which was grey. Two small forelimbs lay uselessly on its underside. It looked up and around at the many people watching it carefully before letting out a little yelp and dashing toward one of the many machines in the room.

Everyone let out a gasp at the sudden movement of the pokémon in comparison to the gentle, calm nature of Amaura. The pokémon leaped up and grabbed a hold of part of the machine with its jaws. Hanging from the machine, all of the scientists began to panic, shouting about how expensive the equipment was. Seeing the commotion, a menacing glint shone in the pokémon's eyes. It tugged at the machine, tearing through the metal as if it were paper, exposing the wires and circuitry beneath.

As the scientists panicked and dashed between machines, Mr. Stone let out a booming laugh. Shay stood wide-eyed, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. The only one in the room acting reasonably was Steven. With a smirk, he reached inside his jacket and produced a pokeball in it's minature form. With a click, it grew in size and Steven threw it in a wide arc in front of him.

"Metagross, it's up to you!" He shouted, sending shivers up my spine. Steven's Metagross appeared, it's four legs hitting the ground with a loud thud. At the sight of Metagross, the fossil pokémon flinched, dashing to cover and knocking over a tray full of beakers on his way.

"Metagross, use Psychic on Tyrunt!" Metagross's eyes glowed blue as it braced itself, hunkering down closer to the floor. The famous Metagross that I'd only ever seen on television was a lot more frightening in the flesh... Or steel.

The pokémon, Tyrunt, cam floating out from behind a bank of computers, surrounded by a glowing blue light. However, the higher up it floated, the more it pulled on the wires that it held between its jaws, ripping them out of the computers. Tyrunt squirmed and tried to run, but Metagross used its Psychic powers to bring it to where it was first released, not daring to let it go. Seeing as everyone was either too panicked or excited by the commontion that Tyrunt had caused, and because Steven was preoccupied with Metagross, I squatted down beside Tyrunt.

"Hey little fella, how's things?" Tyrunt stopped its squirming to look me dead in the eye, with aggression at first, finally softening into curiosity.

"Here, Wyatt, try these." Steven called as he tossed me some poképuffs.I caught most of them, but a few landed on the ground, one right beside Tyrunt. The blue aura surrounding Tyrunt faded, and it quickly bent down to scoop the poképuff off the ground. Steven, seemingly satisfied that Tyrunt wasn't going to run amok again, didn't order for Metagross to hold it.

Tyrunt, having finished the poképuff, looked towards me to see if I had anymore. It waddled closer to me and I held out my hand. I held a poképuff between my thumb and my index finger rather than in my palm, for fear of having my hand bitten off. I let Tyrunt stretch to reach for it before dropping it in his mouth. Within seconds it had swallowed the poképuff, looking towards me for more. I suddenly realised that the room had gone quiet and I looked around me to see what was happening. Everyone was looking toward me expectantly, both Mr. Stone and Steven with proud smiles and Shay with barely contained envy.

"Doctor, why don't you tell us about Tyrunt while Wyatt keeps it calm for now?" Mr. Stone said, never moving his eyes from Tyrunt and I. As I fed it more poképuffs, the Scientist began her explanation.

"This is Tyrunt, the Royal Heir pokémon. Tyrunt is a male, with the ability Strong Jaw. He is a dual Rock and Dragon type, the only known pokémon line with this type of combination, just as with Amaura's typing. Living 100 million years ago, both Tyrunt and it's evolution, Tyrantrum, were the most powerful predators in their habitat, leading them to believed the were the kings of the land, unmatched by any predator. Tyrunt are prone to tantrums when they don't get what they want, and their jaws are very powerful, so I'd keep an eye on him if I were you, Wyatt."

"Me? He's okay now, since I have these poképuffs, but isn't he going to run wild again when I leave?" I asked, confused. Mr. Stone chuckled and Steven smirked.

"Well then Wyatt, it looks like you're just going to have to take Tyrunt with you, now doesn't it?"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

"Oh my god, Wyatt that is so cool!" Shay shouted, punching the air, "You and Tyrunt make a perfect match! I mean, I actually have no idea what Tyrunt is like or anything, but you know, perfect match."

"Mr. Stone, are you serious? I mean, Tyrunt cost a lot to be revived. I'm sure Devon would take great care of him and use him to his full potential in order to get their money back and-" I was cut short by Mr. Stone.

"No, no Wyatt, I don't care about the money. Tyrunt is my gift to you, a way of saying thank you for the time you've spent with my son. Both of you became friends because you weren't allowed pokémon of your own. So this is my way of repaying the two of you for your patience."

"Both of us?" Shay asked, tilting his head inquisitively. Then it dawned on him. "Oh my god does that mean that Amaura is for me? Oh my god, oh my god, that is so amazing!" Shay ran over to hug his dad as I slowly gave another pokepuff to Tyrunt, who was becoming impatient as I was getting distracted. Steven held out Metagross's pokeball and withdrew him.

"I wasn't allowed my first pokémon until I was eighteen, but I'm not going to hold that against you," Steven said, patting Shay on the back, "You're only a few months away from eighteen, so I'd say you'd be pretty capable."

 _My own pokémon._ I couldn't believe it. All my life I had wanted my own pokémon, not just as a pet like Purra, but as a companion, a protector, a friend. When my friends had left on their own journeys, most of their first pokémon had been common pokémon like Ratattas or Pidgeys. Some were given pokémon by their families, older members who had caught them on their travels. Some of the richer kids had a pokémon Connoisseur come and evaluate them, telling them which pokémon would be the best as their very first pokémon. A special few had passed all the right tests at the Trainer School and were awarded with a pokémon from Hoenn's own Professor Birch. Yet no one I knew had a Fossil pokémon as their starter pokémon, much less a Fossil from Kalos. Obviously lost in my train of thought, Tyrunt pushed his head against my hand, looking for more. I opened my palm only to realise that I had run out of pokepuffs.

"Shay, I think it'd be best to withdraw Tyrunt for now." Steven suggested, locking those steel blue eyes with mine. I nodded in reply, and Steven signalled to the Scientist. She held out the Premier ball and with a click, Tyrunt faded from beneath my hands. I stood up to face Mr. Stone and shook his hand firmly.

"Thank you again, Mr. Stone, for giving me this opportunity." I knew that if my mam was here, she would have scolded me for not immediately shaking hands with Mr. Stone, but I didn't want to risk Tyrunt throwing another tantrum. Still shaking my hand, Mr. Stone patted me on the back.

"Doctor, would you mind giving the boys their pokeballs?" Mr. Stone asked, turning to face the female Scientist, who was now engrossed on her computer. It took a moment for her to tear her eyes away from the screen and back into reality, but then she quickly picked up the two pokeballs from the hatch that they originally came from and dashed over to Shay and I. She handed Shay his first, and he wasted no time in scrutinising every aspect of the smooth, white ball. Turning towards me, she handed me the pokeball.

It was surprisingly light, for a device that contained Tyrunt. I knew Tyrunt wasn't actually inside the pokeball, but rather his energy, essence, data or whatever you wanted to call it. He was in a virtual landscape, where he would be trained to be obedient while in a comfortable setting. To tell the truth, I didn't really understand the logistics of what went on inside a pokeball. All I needed to know was that my pokémon was safe and secure until I needed him again. _My pokémon_. The thought sent shivers up my spine. I still couldn't believe I had my very own pokémon.

"Right then, follow me up to my office, boys. There's something I need to ask of you." And with that, Mr. Stone turned on his heel and left the room. The scientists had all gone back to their research, probably obsessing over the data they had discovered from Amaura and Tyrunt. Steven gave us one last look before he followed his father outside. When the two of them were gone, I turned towards Shay.

"Pretty cool, huh? Our own pokémon. I knew sticking by you would be useful at some point." I said, punching Shay on the arm. He laughed and punched back, still cradling the pokeball in his left hand close to his chest.

"How do we make them smaller?" He asked, looking down at his pokeball. Neither of us had attended Trainer School, so we weren't the most knowledgeable when it came to these sort of situations. Since our parents knew we weren't going to be Trainers any time soon, they decided not to waste money on sending us to Trainer School. My mam tried to compensate with a trip to Lilycove City to watch the pokémon Contests and to have a shopping spree in the Department Store. I remember being in a bad mood the whole trip, knowing that it was meant to distract me from the fact that I was being left by all my friends so that they could journey around Hoenn. I wish I had been more grateful at the time. I remember the sorrow in my mam's eyes as she pretended to be happy and smile.

" _Isn't this amazing Wyatt?"_ My mother said, turning to me as we watched pokémon dance on stage. Her curly brown hair bobbed up and down as she tried to get my attention.

" _Look at all those pokémon! They're so well trained!"_

" _Probably because their Trainer spent so much time with them on their journey, instead of being stuck with their mam all day."_ The hurt in her eyes still lingers in my mind, but she tried to maintain a constant smile and pretend that she didn't hear me.

Shay brought me back to the present with a whoop of excitement as his pokeball shrunk in his hand. Now no longer the size of a baseball, and rather the size of a ping-pong ball, it easily fit into his shorts pocket. I followed his lead, pressing the button on the front of the pokeball quickly, and it immediately shrunk in size.

"Wait until everyone sees our pokémon, Wyatt. They are gonna be sooo jealous." Shay says, ushering me towards the door. I call out a thank you to the Scientists in the room as we leave and receive at least a couple of replies. I follow Shay to the elevator, listening to his excited babbles and chipping in when he expects a response. In the elevator, Shay presses the highest floor and pins in a code known only to the secretaries and family, so that not just anyone can disturb Mr. Stone. The elevator lurches sickeningly upwards until finally the doors slide open.

Mr. Stone's office greets us as we step out of the elevator. Just like the ground floor lobby, the office is minimalistic, with cream and beige being the dominant colours. However, in each corner is a display rack of Mr. Stone's most beloved stone collections. Rubies, sapphires, diamonds and pearls adorn each, along with several evolutionary stones, including what looks like the very rare Mega Evolution stones.

However, it is not the rare objects that are found in the room that surprise me the most. Mr. Stone sits behind his desk, with Steven leaning against the wall to his right, one arm crossed and the other held up to his mouth. A girl is sitting facing Mr. Stone, her back turned to us. Her hair is long and brown, tied into two pigtails at either side. A blue bow adorns the top of her head, and a blue side bag sits on the ground beside her chair.

"Shay, Wyatt, I'd like you to meet Cleo." Mr. Stone announces, extending a hand towards the girl sitting in front of him. The girl, Cleo, stands up and turns around to face us. She has large green eyes and a small nose, making her cute in the same way as you'd find a Dedenne cute. She seems to be about our age. A polite, but not exactly friendly, smile is shown to us, along with a curt nod.

"Cleo is the daughter of an employee of mine. She has moved here from the Sinnoh region," Mr. Stone explains. Both Shay and I nod our hellos back to Cleo. "Cleo's mother has allowed Cleo to go on a journey of the Hoenn region. Cleo has agreed to help me with an errand of mine, the same errand that I am going to ask of you. Cleo has already travelled around Sinnoh, and therefore I think she would be a great help in teaches you the ways of a Trainer."

Cleo's eye twitches as she lets out a nervous giggle.

"I need you three to deliver a package for me," Mr. Stone continues "To Professor Birch of Littleroot Town."

"What's in the package?" Shay asks.

"Just some Devon Goods the Professor has ordered." Mr. Stone replies.

"Why can't you just Fly them over?" Cleo asks, her accent distinctly northern.

"Where would the fun in that be?" Steven smirks. I understood now what was going on. These Devon Goods mustn't be particularly valuable. Mr. Stone just wants to give us a place and a purpose to strive for. The way to Littleroot Town isn't particularly dangerous, with a few towns and a forest along the way.

"Now I want you two to listen carefully to everything Cleo has to say about travelling and battling. She has had experience in the wild before, unlike you two boys." Mr. Stone says as Cleo shifts nervously from foot to foot. I wonder what her problem is. Maybe it's the fact that she was suddenly thrust into a situation involving the head of Hoenn's largest company and two rookie trainers. That would be enough to offset anyone who had decided to travel alone.

"Sorry, Mr. Stone?" I ask "Would it be okay if I went home to tell my mam about this first?"

Mr. Stone blinks, obviously completely forgetting about the fact that he's not the one who gives me permission to leave on a journey around the world.

"Of course, Wyatt," He says, and then bursts out laughing, "I wish you luck in explaining this to your mother!"

"You're doing WHAT?"

It was the reaction I expected from my mam. She has been totally opposed to the idea of me being a pokémon trainer at any point in my life. Unlike Mr. Stone, she had no great plans in mind to eventually let me leave on a journey. My mother wouldn't be happier than if I got a job in Devon, moved in next door and spent the rest of my life in Rustboro.

"Mr. Stone gave me the pokémon that he revived from the Fossil. It's called Tyrunt and it's a-"

"Well tell Mr. Stone thank you very much for this pokémon but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to decline." She began to rub her fists together the way she does every time she's worried. My sister, Sabine, sits quietly at the kitchen table stroking a sleeping Purra. Her eyes dart between my mam and I, making it unclear who's side she's on. At twelve years old, lots of her friends have already left on their journeys, but that doesn't seem to bother her as much as it did me.

"Mam, I'm not returning Tyrunt. He was a gift to me." Even though I haven't spent much time with Tyrunt, I could already sense a bond. I could also feel a sense of dread, wondering if he will throw a tantrum like he did back at the lab. With no Steven to help contain him, I'd be on my own to try and calm him down.

"Shay, you know how dangerous it is out in the wild." She pleaded, desperation in her voice.

"That's why I have Tyrunt with me! Plus, Shay and his pokémon are coming too, and there's this girl, Cleo, who is an experienced trainer and is going to stick with us the whole way."

"Well I don't know this Cleo, and I've never met her parents, so I don't know how qualified she is as a guardian to you two. And don't get me wrong, Shay is a lovely young man, but is he really responsible enough to go on a journey?"

"Mam, you're being completely ridiculous." I protest. She lets out a long, drawn out sigh.

"Wyatt... I just can't lose you too," She whispers. That really made the guilt that I had already felt boil inside of me "I _know_ that you have pokémon by your side and I _know_ that you'll be with your friends but I just..." I place my hand in hers and give her a reassuring squeeze. "Pokémon Hordes have been spotted more and more lately, they said so on the news."

"I'll never be alone, mam."

"Some pokémon are inherently vicious, Wyatt. Just last week a man who had trained a Seviper for seven years was killed by his own pokémon in an unprovoked attack."

"I'm sure he must've done-"

"And it's not just the pokémon either. Some people don't care for pokémon battles, they just attack the Trainers head on, or set their own pokémon after them before they have time to defend themselves. Team Rocket have resurged now and are trying to make up for lost time."

"I'm 18, I can take care of myself. Plus, all those lessons with Black Belt Hideki have stuck with me."

She begins to protest, but I cut her off. "I'll come back. I promise. You won't lose me as well. Sabine will make sure everything is safe here, after all, she's a Champion of the Meowth." Sabine sticks her tongue out at me in a mocking way. "I promise, I won't take any unnecessary risks. I'll play it safe, by the book, and I'll call the Rangers if I'm ever in any trouble."

The look of defeat in her eyes says it all. She's not happy whatsoever, but she's powerless to try and stop me. I step in closer and give her a hug.

"Don't worry, mam. You won't lose me. I'll be safe. I'll make sure to call every day to let you know how I'm getting on. It's just a quick trip to Littleroot Town and back. I'll be back before you know it." I reassure her. She releases me and holds me at arms length.

"You go and pack some things, okay? Make sure to bring a toothbrush and clean underwear, okay? Lots and lots of clean underwear. Pokémon are scary." She says the last sentence almost to herself, her train of thought clearly slipping away. I jump up and whoop, rushing into my bedroom to pack.

I grab a backpack and fill it with some essentials: clothes, toothbrush, underwear, pokenav, razors, money, Running Shoes. I reset the pedometer on my pokétch as a way of monitoring my progress. All of the useless apps that were installed on it to check the status of your pokémon have now found purpose. I open the pokémon List to find a blank LED screen. I put my hand in my pocket until Tyrunt's pokeball is in my hand. Taking it out, I press the button to expand it and hold it over my pokétch. A transferring data symbol appears on the pokétch, and after a few seconds, a sprite resembling Tyrunt appears, with a bar underneath to represent his health.

A wave of nausea courses through me. _Why am I feeling nervous?_ I have been waiting for this moment for my whole life, and even more so since all of my friends left me to go on their own journeys. Anger flares within me at myself. I shouldn't be feeling nervous, I should be ready, more than ready, to leave this place and discover the rest of the world. Yet somewhere, in the back of my mind, a voice whispers to me.

 _You're not ready. You'll leave Rustboro, fall flat on your face and come crying back to mommy._

The thought sends a shiver up my spine. I love my mother, but I could never, ever give her the satisfaction of saying "I told you so" if I came back from my journey. After years of begrudging her choice, I had to prove that her worries were baseless. I am not my father.

When I returned to the kitchen, my mam was wiping tears away from her eyes. Sabine was hugging her from behind, trying to console her. A pang of guilt courses through my stomach.

"Mam... There's no need to be sad. You've had so much more time with me than most other parents. Plus, you've got Sabine and Purra to keep you company," I say, laughing nervously "And now I won't be pestering you for money or pestering you for food. It'll be good for me."

She lets out a sad chuckle, "I know all that, trust me. I guess it's just that..." She stands up and wraps her arms around me. I can see Sabine looking anxiously at the two of us from behind my mam's shoulder. "I'm so sorry that I took this opportunity away from you all those years ago."

I peel myself out of my mam's hold putting my hands on her shoulder and looking into her eyes. The words tumble out of my mouth before I can think about them, but I know before I say them that they are the unadulterated truth, no emotions clouding my judgement.

"What happened, happened. That's in the past. What matters now is that I'm leaving on my journey today, with my your permission and support. Thinking about it now, I wouldn't have known shit when-"

"No swearing."

"Sorry, I wouldn't have known... Anything about the world and even about myself when I was ten. Now, I'm journeying around Hoenn with maturity and life experience by my side. Plus, I've got a god damn Tyrunt instead of some shitty Pidgey!"

"I hope you stick to my no swearing rule, Wyatt. Honestly, it just doesn't give off a good impression to others." She laughs, her smile reaching her eyes. She pulls me in for another hug before quickly letting go and walking over to the sink, her back facing away from me. Sabrina moves in for a hug next.

"I can't believe you're leaving me to do all the chores." Is all she says before releasing me and sitting back down. Sabrina and I get on well together, but we like to put on an act of dislike. While we embrace, I feel her push something into my backpack. She obviously didn't want to talk about what it was, so I decided not to ask, instead giving her a knowing nod when we part.

My pokenav buzzes in my pocket and I fish it out, seeing that it's a text from Shay. _Meet us at the Poké Mart._

"Well, I've gotta go." I say, taking one last look at the place where I grew up. I know it's only a short trip to Littleroot Town and back, so I don't know why I'm feeling as if it's the last time I'll ever see it. Again, the feeling of anxiety mixed with guilt sloshes around in my gut. I take a big breath to steel my nerves, looking my mam and Sabine in the eyes. None of us dare speak, our goodbyes already spoken. Yet we share a silent conversation, a conversation of worry, of sadness. A conversation of trust.

"So how much shit are you in?" Is the first thing Shay says to me as I walk into the Poké Mart. I've rarely been inside a Poké Mart before. The items it sells are mainly for use by trainers, rangers, breeders... Anyone who accompanies pokémon, really. Everyone but me.

I shake myself out of that thought. There are plenty of people who don't have many interactions with pokémon at all. pokémon are a part of everyone's lives in one way or another, but with varying degrees of interaction. Not everyone has a use for keeping a pokémon, whether as a companion or pet.

"It was weird," I admit "She put up less of a fight than I expected." It felt odd to talk about personal matters in front of Cleo. I have never met the girl, and I don't really know much about her. I get the sense that she feels this too, because she seems to be avoiding eye contact.

"Hey, Cleo, you're a Trainer, right?" I ask, trying to break the Ice type. She meets my gaze nervously.

"Yeah? I mean, I'm not the greatest but-"

"hat sort of supplies should we stock up on before we leave?"

"Well, Potions I guess... Maybe a few Antidotes? Mr. Stone said something about a forest being in between here and Littleroot Town. There's no caves, so Escape Ropes aren't needed..." She ponders. Shay and I go looking for Potions and Antidotes, finding them pretty quickly near the cash register. Cleo joins us in the queue as we wait behind two customers.

"So, what do you think of Hoenn?" Shay asks.

"It's a lot warmer than Sinnoh, anyway," She smiles, a longing look in her eyes.

"Why'd you move?" I ask. Cleo lets out a sigh.

"My parents went through a pretty nasty divorce. My mom wanted a fresh start, I suppose. She was working for Devon's Sinnoh branch in Eterna City, so she put in for a transfer to the sunny south to get away from my dad." The queue moves forward until we're second in line.

"That sucks. Sorry to hear that." I say, knowing that it must be hard on her. I hear the door of the Poké Mart open as a customer leaves and take a glance at it, noticing someone entering the shop as well.

"Oh crap." Shay whispers, wide eyed. The girl at the door is wearing a short grey skirt that puffs out like a Parasol Lady, with pink tights and a pink bow in her brown hair.

"Who's that?" Cleo asks, noticing Shay's discomfort.

"That," I chuckle, "Is Roxanne, Rustboro's Gym Leader. She's also Shay's ex-girlfriend." Roxanne seems not to notice us as she enters the Poké Mart, heading straight for the Potions shelf. The green haired boy in front of us finishes buying his Items and steps aside to let us use the till as he packs his recent purchases into his Bag. The man behind the counter flashes us a customary smile as he scans our Items. As we pay and pack away our Items, the boy beside us gives a startled gasp.

"Roxanne!" He calls, a steely determination in his eyes. Roxanne peers over the shelf to see who it is, and when she spots the boy she also notices our trio standing beside him.

"Wally," She says with a smirk, walking towards us "I didn't realise you'd actually made friends. Poor choice, in my opinion, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers." The boy, Wally, looks confused at his association with us, but remains unoffended, as if Roxanne's statement was a playful remark. I feel Shay stiffen beside me and hear Cleo draw a long breath, his seemingly to contain her anger.

"These are my loyal fans," Wally replies, his small, fragile stature betraying his obvious confidence. The kid doesn't exactly look like he should be getting in a fight. His skin is pale, and his breathing seems forced and difficult. "They're here to see me take on you in a Gym battle."

Roxanne laughs, pretending to wipe away tears. "All right, runt. Your gang of Slowpoke can come to the Gym and watch as you fail miserably. I'll be waiting." And with that, Roxanne turns on her heel and exits the Poké Mart, leaving the three of us confused as to what exactly just took place. But one other emotion dominates my mind. Excitement at getting to witness a Gym battle.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! Sorry it's been such a long break between my last chapter, what with college and work starting back I've just been very busy. Yet the other day I got an email saying that someone favourited my story, and that gave me the encouragement to start writing again. So finally, here it is! I hope to not leave that long a wait between chapters, so your support is definitely welcomed.

In this chapter I feel there is a lot of blending between the universe of the games and the anime, as both look at different aspects of the overall pokemon universe in different degrees of thoroughness. I have tried my best to use settings from both universes and my own creative freedom to create a believable and enthralling world.

As always, feedback is greatly appreciated, even if it isn't good feedback!

 _CHAPTER FOUR_

"Sorry about that guys," Wally chuckles as we all leave the Poke Mart. We're all still pretty confused about the whole situation, and Wally seems to notice this.

"My name's Wally, by the way. I'm a Pokemon Trainer from Petalburg City." He says with confidence, puffing out his chest.

"My name's Wyatt," I take the lead "These are my friends Shay and Cleo." I gesture toward the two standing beside me "We're Pokemon Trainers. Well, sorta..."

Wally beams, "That's great! It's always a fantastic opportunity to watch others battle in order to learn new techniques and combinations." Both Shay and I shift uneasily from foot to foot. We've never actually had a real pokemon battle, so every technique and combination would be new to us.

"Wally, I for one hope that you destroy Roxanne." Cleo states. Shay begins howling with laughter and both Wally and I can't help but laugh along with him. Cleo looks exasperated.

"Seriously, who does she think she is, insulting me without even knowing my name!"

"Oh Cleo, I have a feeling that we'll get on very well." Shay says, patting Cleo on the back.

"Well then, friends. Shall we get going on our venture to defeat Roxanne?" Wally asks, making a show of pointing toward the Gym as if he were introducing an act in the Pokémon Musical.

As the four of us make our way through Rustboro to the gym, Shay explains to Cleo and Wally about the relationship he had with Roxanne.

"We were 15, and both of us went to the same Pokemon Fan Club. We used to watch Contests together and then hang out afterwards, you know? After a while, it became more about hanging out and less about the Contests. Roxanne wasn't Leader at the time, but she was top of her class at Trainer School. Eventually we started dating, and it was great and all but..."

"You cheated on her?" asks Cleo.

"You destroyed her reputation?" asks Wally.

"No no, nothing like that. Well. Maybe kinda in a roundabout sort of way."

"You flirted with someone else!" Cleo gasps, feeling as if she solved the puzzle.

"No, you idiot, the reputation part. Roxanne became the successor of the Gym because of her abilities in Trainer School, it's what they do here in Rustboro. After that, she spent more time battling and training than with me, which I totally get, don't get me wrong, she's a Gym Leader and all but... She seemed to grow more and more bored of me as the weeks went on until I confronted her about it."

"So you broke up with her?" Wally inquires, scratching his chin.

"Sorta... I asked her if it would be better if she didn't see me anymore because it seemed like she wasn't interested at all, but the minute I said that- oh no, how dare I insinuate that. I had no respect for the hard work she was doing and I was never around for her while she's under so much pressure. She turned an easy, clean break up into a huge argument about how crap of a boyfriend I was. Apparently I wasn't suited to be hanging around with a Gym leader anyway, I was only dragging her down because I wasn't even a Trainer."

Cleo and Wally digest this information as he walk by the gates that separate the main road from the grounds of the Gym.

"What a bitch."

"Indeed."

Rustboro Gym loomed threateningly above us. Forty foot of varying shades of brown rock seemed both out of place and at home in the urban setting of Rustboro. As a child, I had always wondered how they'd transported such a huge amount of rock to this spot. I'd imagined burly men with chainsaws cutting the top of a mountain off and brining it here on the back of a truck.

In reality, the building was created using the help of people and pokemon. Originally a crater formed due to a meteor strike similar to those found in various places throughout Hoenn, Gym battles used to take place here. Always the site of a Rock Type Gym, rocks began to pile up after moves such as Rock Throw and Stone Edge had been frequently used. At first this was a problem; the site had to be emptied regularly to clear a space for battling. Then, one of the Gym leaders of the time had an idea.

Forcing pokemon to consistently use their moves to do human's work, such as building, has been illegal since before anyone can remember. That's why Electric Type pokemon arent used to power our are not tools to be used by humans. Therefore, the Gym Leader's logic had been that if he instead collected all of the rocks that were produced in the battles, he would eventually have enough stone to build a large Gym without over exerting his beloved pokemon. In the end he had gathered enough to create the giant structure that stands proud in the centre of Rustboro today. _"The city probing the integration of nature and science",_ the city's motto, was clearly evidenced by this building, a mixture of hard work by both humans and pokemon.

"Well, friends. Lets see what's in store for us today."

We approached the blue steel doors that were the only man-made structure on the exterior of the building. Shay, ever the gentleman, skipped ahead and held open the door for the rest of us. As we stepped in, I heard Cleo's whistle of amazement. The walls and roof reached high above us, giving the sense of walking into a large cave. Lights hung down from the ceiling, with spotlights above Trainers that littered the path to the Gym Leader. Floodlights, unlit, hung from the ceiling over the Gym's main courtyard.

The room was a maze of glass display cases, showing an impressive assortment of rocks, Shards, Fossils and other various items. To anyone else, this would have been a stunning assortment, but after knowing the Stone family for the past eight years, it was hard to beat their collection. The most awe-inspiring piece, however, was situated on the wall behind the open court where the Gym battle took place. A giant skeleton of a Dragonite watched imposingly upon the various battles that take place within the gym. I've heard about this fossil before: the remains of a Dragonite from thousands of years ago over fifteen feet tall, the largest ever recorded. No other remains of a Dragonite as big had been found, yet this skeleton was in near perfect condition when they discovered it among the Sevii Islands. How the Rustboro Gym had managed to get their hands on it was a mystery to me.

A man wearing a white shirt and grey slacks held up by braces approached us as we entered. His hair was light brown with two grey streaks running parallel on either side just at his temple and he wore a red bow tie.

"Hey, Champs and Champettes in the making, how's it going?" His voice reminded me of a sports commentator from forty years ago, sleezey, yet charismatic. Wally stepped forward and shook the man's hand.

"A pleasure to meet you," was all he said before he lapsed into a coughing fit. The sound of his coughs echoed throughout the building, like an echo in a cavern. Trainers turned to watch as Wally heaved, bent over, hands on his legs for support. Cleo stepped forward and began patting Wally's back.

"It's all right, guys," he laughed shakily, clearly holding back a cough "There must just be a lot of dust in this room." Seeing the poor boy like this was not encouraging. His bravado of confidence seemed to betray his sickly state. I knew that he hadn't looked healthy when I first saw him at the Poké Mart.

"You must be allergic to failure, Wally." The voice boomed from the back of the Gym. Floodlights burst on one by one, slowly encircling Roxanne, who stood with her hands on her hips, a wicked grin on her angular face.

"Let him through, boys. I want to crush this wimp all by myself."

The trainers who dotted the Gym began to whisper excitedly between themselves. Wally straightened up, his mask of confidence flowing back onto his face. The sleezey man who had greeted us stepped aside, holding out his arm toward Roxanne, inviting us to her challenge.

Wally led the way, with Shay, Cleo and I following afterwards. I recognise some of the Youngsters as the boys I had spotted discussing tactics earlier. Maybe they were finally on their way to challenging the _Rock-Loving Honours Student_. It didn't matter now. Their battle seems to have been postponed in favour of a battle with the actual Gym leader.

Roxanne stood in the centre of the battle court, with a taunting grin on her face. Wally walked directly onto the court while Shay, Cleo and I stayed at the sides, a small barrier separating us from the action.

"Thanks for seeing me so soon, Roxanne." Wally says as an audience begins to build up around the outside of the court.

"No problem, I just couldn't wait to beat you and your pokemon." She replies with a smirk. A School Kid carrying a half open backpack rushes hurriedly onto the court, stopping to catch his breath only when he reaches Roxanne.

"Sorry for pulling you out of class on such short notice, Jefferson," Roxanne comments, turning towards the kid.

"Jefferson is my personal Gym assistant, a real up and coming Trainer," She explains. "Tell me, Wally. How many Gym badges do you have?"

"Two so far." Wally informs, rummaging through the inside pocket of his coat and producing a black case with the pokemon Gym logo printed on it. He flips it open to reveal two badges pinned to the cushioned interior: a round, blue badge with a smaller orange circle overlapping it and another badge that seemed to be two small grey circles attached by a line in the middle. Roxanne turns her nose up at the badges, seemingly annoyed that Wally was able to beat two badges already.

"Jefferson, prepare my Tier Three pokemon." She instructs, sending the boy scrambling through his backpack.

"What's he doing?" I ask aloud.

"Wally already has two badges," Cleo explains, "So she's using her pokemon designated for challengers seeking their third badge. It wouldn't make any sense if your first Gym had pokemon at really high levels, it isn't your fault where you start off on your journey. Each Gym Leader has set pokemon capable of testing Trainers of all levels."

"This is gonna be so amazing!" Shay whispers, vibrating with excitement. Jefferson fishes two pokeballs and a belt out of his Bag and hands them to Roxanne, who wraps the belt around her waist and clips the pokeballs on. She turns on her heel and walks to the far end of the court, with Wally doing the same on the opposite side. This seems to drive the audience wild, as the hushed whispers escalate until cheers erupt from everyone in the crowd. Jefferson runs the the edge of the court.

"Roxanne, the Gym Leader, versus Wally the challenger!" He announces "Each Trainer will use two pokemon each, with the winner being decided when the other Trainer's pokemon are unable to battle. The challenger may substitute his pokemon, while the Gym Leader may not."

"Well, Wally. Are you ready for defeat?" Roxanne taunts.

"Quite the contrary." Wally replies, lifting his shirt up slightly to reveal a belt containing four pokeballs. He unclips one and expands it to its usable size.

"Alright, Nosepass, time to show this kid who's top of the class!" Roxanne shouts, throwing a pokeball out onto the field. A flash of red light precedes Nosepass's heavy fall to the ground. I'd seen a Nosepass on tv before, but never in real life. It's angular features and blank expression were quite unnerving.

"Woah, what is that?" Cleo asks before pulling out a red device slighly larger than a pokenav. She points the camera towards Nosepass and almost immediately a range of information is splayed upon the screen, including stats, height, weight and typing. Photos of Nosepass both in the wild and in battle slide across the screen as a an artificial voice reads aloud the text shown on the screen.

"Nosepass's magnetic nose is always pointed to the north. If two of these Pokémon meet, they cannot turn their faces to each other when they are close because their magnetic noses repel one another."

Shay seemed very taken aback at the sight of Cleo's device and immediately grabbed it from her to study it himself.

"Where'd you get that?!" He demanded. Cleo snatched it back and sticks it back into her Bag.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It's a pokedex. I got it from Professor Juniper back in Unova as thanks for helping her out with a favour."

A pokedex. I'd heard of them from people in town, but I'd never actually seen one. They're very expensive to make, and only a small amount actually exist, each unique to whoever constructs them, as they aren't readily available on the market. Even Devon don't develop any pokedex, nor Sliph Co. or any other large corporation.

"You're going to have to let me have a look at that later," Shay insists, his focus torn between the pokedex and the battle that is about to start.

"A Nosepass, huh? Interesting pokemon..." Wally says, "But it will be no match for my Kirlia!" He throws his pokeball into the court, releasing a his pokemon onto the field. I'd seen plenty of Kirlia on tv and magazines, as they were a popular pokemon to fans, although difficult to find in the wild for Trainers. Cleo must've seen a Kirlia before as well, as she didn't scan it with her pokedex.

A tense moment passed between Wally and Roxanne as both tried to plan out their strategies. A shiver ran up my spine - excitement at witnessing my first real life Gym battle. This was going to be one to remember.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

"Kirlia, use Confusion!" Wally shouts, commencing the battle. Both Wally and Roxanne stand in a strong stance, as if they were the ones physically fighting. Kirlia, however, stands straight and tall, balancing precariously on its pointed feet.

At once, Kirlia's red horns begin to glow, causing the air around it to shimmer and distort. Nosepass's body becomes outlined in the same glowing red as Kirlia's horns, sending the dust on the ground billowing outwards as it is knocked forcefully backwards, causing more dust and sand to fly into the air. Nosepass remains standing, brushing off the Psychic type move.

"Nice try," Roxanne retorts "Nosepass, now it's your turn! Use Power Gem!"

Nosepass's body begins to glow a pale pink colour as it extends it's hands upwards. The glow seems to converge into diamond shaped, sparkling rocks as Nosepass spins and launches them toward a startled Kirlia. Wally's pokémon is hurled into the air by the force of a dozen or so rocks, which seems oddly solid and transparent at the same time. All of these moves happen over the course of a less than a minute, yet already it seems as if the battle is in full swing.

Kirlia lands on the rocky ground with a thump, as the stones erupt into a wave of gravel and dust .Wally's face is a mask of concern. As a cheer erupts from the spectators watching the battle unfold, a wave of emotion hits me. This is it: the life of a Trainer. The battles, the cooperation between pokémon and Trainer, the atmosphere of competition, the support of friends and strangers alike. It's so different than what you hear from others, or from the battles you see on TV. There's an electricity in the air ; a collective feeling of excitement, courage and determination that's completely missing from a recorded battle, no matter how many sound effects and action shots you see.

Kirlia struggles to pick herself up as Wally shouts words of encouragement.

"That was strong," Cleo remarks, worry creasing her face, "Did Wally do any research before coming to this Gym?"

"You learn by doing!" Shay replies, completely absorbed by the battle unfolding before us.

"Don't give them a chance to recover, Nosepass," Roxanne booms, "Use Power Gem again!"

Nosepass complies, forming another batch of glowing stones over its head as Kirlia jumps back into action. Just as Nosepass is about to launch the orb towards Kirlia, Wally issues a command.

"Kirlia, Double Team, now!"

Kirlia yips a high pitched cry of strength as it jumps into the air. Suddenly, four copies of the Emotion Pokémon emerge from Kirlia, spreading out in a semi circle. All five versions jump and pirouette around each other, making it impossible to tell the original from the copies.

Nosepass seems to be having the same problem, as the fully formed Power Gems remain floating above it, as its expressionless face scans its opponents.

Roxanne shares her pokémon's frustration, as she too is unable to tell which one is the real Kirlia as they dance around each other.

"Hit them all, Nosepass!"

The glowing rocks shoot towards all five targets, but instead of Kirlia getting the full force of the damage, only two or three rocks hit each copy, forcing the fake versions to vanish after being hit. The real Kirlia is the only one left standing, and even then it doesn't seem to be affected much.

"Power Gem, again!" Roxanne orders, but Wally has his own plans in mind.

"Kirlia, use Disarming Voice!"

As Nosepass begins to use its next move, Kirlia firmly plants its two feet on the ground and takes a deep breath. Opening its mouth, an emotional scream erupts from it, sending visible shock waves toward Nosepass. The Compass Pokémon seems to lose its concentration, as the pink stones above its head fall uselessly to the floor, disintegrating after a second or two.

"Unfair!" Roxanne shouts as Wally chuckles loudly to himself.

"Finish it off with Confusion, Kirlia!"

Kirlia's horns begin to glow again as Psychic power flows into them, enveloping Nosepass in the same odd power.

"Nosepass, use Endure!"

Nosepass plants itself on the ground firmly, arms by its side as Kirlia unleashes its own move against it. Yet although Nosepass is pushed backward, it refuses to fall over, leaving itself ready for action after a move that should have taken it out.

"See? We both have our tricks," Roxanne smirks, "Now Nosepass, Power Gem again!"

"Kirlia, Double Team!"

"The same tactic as before," Shay whispers, troubled by the repeating events, "Shouldn't Roxanne know better?"

Again, Kirlia divides itself as Nosepass prepares to attack.

"Now Nosepass, hit all of them, then get close!" Roxanne booms, a confident smirk spreading across her face. Wally seems intrigued- not worried as I would've imagined.

The glowing stones hit all of the copies as Nosepass rushes toward Wally's side of the field, until there is only one Kirlia left; looking weak even though it wasn't hit by the full force of Power Gem.

"Nosepass, use Spark on Kirlia!"

Nosepass's body suddenly crackles with electricity, sparks flying from every direction. At this range, and with no way to predict it, Kirlia doesn't have a hope of dodging as Nosepass charges full force into Wally's pokémon, knocking Kirlia to the ground with a shocking sound that echoes through the room.

"Kirlia?" Wally calls, unsure of what to do next. When his pokémon doesn't respond, he runs onto the court and kneels beside it, lifting its head beneath his hands.

"Kirlia is unable to battle!" Jefferson, the referee of the match, announces.

Cheers erupt from many of the Trainers spectating, mainly Roxanne's own Gym Trainers. Although I'm rooting for Wally, I can't help but be impressed at Roxanne's battling skill.

"That was pretty smart of her," Cleo admits as she casts a worried glance in Roxanne's direction.

"Just because I'm a Rock Type Gym Leader doesn't mean I have rocks for brains!" Roxanne shouts- more for her adoring fans than Wally.

"Kirlia, you did great out there. Have a nice long rest," Wally sighs, returning Kirlia to its pokéball. "I still have one more pokémon left, Roxanne. This battle isn't over yet!"

Wally unclips the other pokéball from his belt and holds it up in the air, causing his supporters and our trio to cheer.

"Show 'em what we got, Roselia!" Wally shouts, throwing the pokéball out onto the court, unleashing the Grass/Poison pokémon that I've seen plastered on various florists in Rustboro.

Roselia are beautiful pokémon, yet they are also very dangerous. They may the poster pokémon for beautiful gardens, but those who try to pick Roselia's flowers are known to fight for their life after being stung by their poisonous thorns.

Again, Cleo whips out her Pokédex, pointing it at Roselia to learn more information

"Roselia shoots sharp thorns as projectiles at any opponent that tries to steal the flowers on its arms, unleashing a vicious poison. The aroma of this Pokémon brings serenity to living things., yet is also known to make its foes careless"

"I've seen some Budew in the wild, but they're not very poisonous at all. At worst they give you runny noses and harsh sneezes, but even then that seems to be rare." Cleo remarks.

"Really?" Shay asks, "We were always told since we were kids to be extra careful when picking flowers to make sure we don't disturb a Roselia."

Before Cleo has time to respond, the battle is up and running again.

"Nosepass, don't give them time to get settled! Use Charge!"

While most Nosepass only stand around three foot off the ground, it looks huge when compared to Roselia, who barely reaches up to my knee.

"Dodge it Roselia!" Wally cries. The tiny Thorn Pokémon tries to jump away from Nosepass's electric tackle, and although it avoids a direct hit, it is grazed by the energy surrounding Nosepass.

"Okay Roselia, lets finish this with a Magical Leaf!"

Roselia holds out both of its hands as they begin to glow with power. Then, with a high pitched grunt, blue and red petals begin to materialise and race towards Nosepass, who doesn't get a chance to dodge or Endure. Upon contact the petals explode, leaving behind a sparkling cloud of pollen as Nosepass shouts in pain. There's so much pollen and dust that the Rock Type pokémon is obscured from sight, even after the move has ended.

"That was super-effective..." Shay says softly, obviously in awe of the tiny pokémon's impressive power. The whole crowd seems to hold their breath as they wait for the dust to settle. Roselia is panting slightly, eagerly waiting to see the effects of her attack. Wally shares Roselia's anticipation, while Roxanne puts on a brave face, confident in the strength of her pokémon.

The dust settles. Nosepass slowly comes into view.

Lying on its back.

"Nosepass is unable to battle!" Jefferson announces, sending a chorus of shouts from the Trainers and ourselves.

Wally jumps into the air, whooping with delight as Roxanne withdraws her pokémon, whispering encouraging messages to her fainted companion.

"So we're back to even footing now, Wally," She calls "Although your Roselia did take a hit from Nosepass's Charge. Time to send out my next pokémon!"

Roxanne unclips the other pokéball from her belt, and aims it toward the field.

"Lairon, show Wally what we've got!"

A beam of energy hits the rocky floor, materialising into a stocky, rough looking pokémon, mostly grey but with flecks of dark orange. I've never seen this pokémon before, and luckily neither has Cleo, as she brings up all sorts of information on her pokédex about Lairon.

"Lairon feeds on iron contained in rocks and water. It makes its nest on mountains where iron ore is buried, close to highly nutritious mineral spring water. It habitually shows off its strength with the size of sparks it creates by ramming its steel body into boulders."

"The Lairon in most of these images are all grey," Cleo notes, "So why does Roxanne's Lairon has brown flecks on its body?"

As if on cue, Wally notices the same odd colouration.

"Nice Lairon, Roxanne!" He compliments, obviously impressed at the imposing looking pokémon, "Where'd it get its unusual colour?"

Roxanne seems delighted by the fact that her pokémon is special, as she has no bother discussing it during the middle of a Gym battle.

"I caught this Lairon in a vast mountain range between Jhoto and Kanto, near the famous Mt. Silver. Although Lairon are usually grey due to the iron that they feed on, the Lairon nest I found was different. They were feasting on a mixture of iron and copper, causing their hide to change colour. Lots of pokémon have different variations, once you know where to look. Pokémon variate depending on what region they're from, their gender, whether they were brought up in the wild or domestically. But once I saw my Lairon, I knew I had to catch him right away!"

Lairon, as if understanding his Trainer's explanation, shouts in response. His cry is higher pitched than I'd expect, yet also sounding metallic, as if hitting a steel gate with a stick.

"That's honestly really interesting stuff," Wally replies, "And I'd love to talk more about it. But I'm here to win myself a Gym badge, and victory is within sight."

Both Trainers change stance, ready for the heat of battle once more, their pokémon locking eyes, excited and pumped, ready for action.

"Roselia, Magical Leaf!"

Roselia readies itself for a barrage of petals, gathering up its energy.

"Lairon, deflect them with Iron Head!"

The plate atop Lairon's head begins to glow, hardening the sturdy iron beneath as he bounds toward Roselia. Magical Leaves begin to fly toward Lairon, but most get tossed aside easily, like leaves blowing towards a speeding truck. Lairon covers the distance between him and his opponent easily and slams into the tiny Roselia, sending it off its feet and landing a few feet away.

Roselia struggles to stand back up as Lairon glowers threateningly in its direction.

"Roselia, the opponent has size on their side, but don't let that be a problem to you!" Wally calls out encouragingly, "Use Growth!"

Roselia, back on its feet now, starts to envelop itself in a green light. As it does so, Roselia slowly starts to grow larger, nearly doubling in height, until it stands just a few inches short of Lairon.

"Lairon, don't let that fool you!" Roxanne issues "Use Rock Tomb and show them that we're still tougher than they are!"

Lairon grunts and lifts the right side of his body from the ground, balancing on his two left legs. Then, with another grunt, he slams down his right legs. The force of this stomp causes rocks to erupt out of the ground beneath Roselia, lifting the Grass/Poison pokémon into the air and sending a wave of dust across the field that stings my eyes. When Roselia falls to the ground, more stones surround it, blocking it off from the rest of the field.

"I can't see Roselia!" Cleo remarks, straining to look over the stones that have surrounded Wally's pokémon.

"Does Roselia know a move that can get it out of this?" Shay asks

"We've only seen Magical Leaf and Growth so far, so maybe Wally has another trick up his sleeve?" I chip in.

Roxanne smirks, happy with the outcome of her move, "We've got 'em right where we want 'em, Lairon. Now, use Dig!"

Lairon begins furiously digging immediately, obviously used to this tactic from countless other battles. Soon, Lairon is obscured by a cloud of dust he creates as he burrows beneath the ground until he can't be seen any more.

Roselia's cry can be heard from within its trap, but Wally doesn't issue a command. Perhaps he's as stuck for a plan as we are. I can see his eyes flicker, searching the ground for tell-tale signs of Lairon's tunnelling, while also searching his mind for tactics. As much as I'm rooting for Wally, it's hard not to be impressed by Roxanne's battle strategy. I suppose she didn't become a Gym Leader for nothing.

Without warning, an eruption of dust and a loud rumble pour from within the rocks, but it's impossible to see anything. Suddenly Roselia shoots out from the cloud of dust and lands heavily onto the field. Lairon clambers easily over the rocks and roars loudly at Roselia, issuing a challenge to the weakened pokémon. Roselia, however, isn't as weakened as I believed, and now stands up straight, steely determination glinting in its eyes.

"You're doing great, Roselia, just a little more and we can win this!" Wally shouts, "Now, use Magical Leaf again, hit him with al you've got!"

Roselia begins to hum with energy, gathering petals to shoot towards its opponent.

"Come on, Wally, we've been over this," taunts Roxanne, "Lairon, Iron Head, now!"

The same scene unfolds, with red and blue petals flying towards a charging Lairon, who deflects the brunt of the damage. However, Lairon appears to be distracted with the flurry of petals and doesn't notice Roselia jump to the side, rendering Iron Head useless as he charges into empty space.

"Now that he's close, hit him with a Poison Jab!" Wally commands.

"Uh oh" Cleo remarks.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused as to why that's a bad choice.

Roselia's flowers turn a menacing shade of purple as poison flows through them and it lunges after Lairon. Its arms smack against Lairon's hard body, and with a loud _clang..._

Nothing happens.

"What?!" Shay gasps. The crowd seem equally as confused, but Cleo just rolls her eyes. Why didn't Roselia's move have no... _Effect_.

Oh. Now I think I understand.

Roxanne begins to laugh, "Wally, I expected better of you!" She says, doubling over with laughter, "Lairon is part Steel Type, and Poison Type moves have no effect on Steel Types!"

Wally curses himself, "One mistake, Roxanne. Don't let it fool you though- we've still got this battle in the bag, don't we Roselia?"

Roselia lets out a cry of encouragement, joining Wally at his end of the playing field.

"Well let's finish this up then," Roxanne retorts, "Lairon, Iron Head, again!"

Lairon tempers the steel on its head and begins his charge towards Roselia, roaring intimidatingly along the way.

"Remember, Roselia, he's bigger than you!" Wally calls, a cheeky grin spreading across his face, "As they always say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall...

"Roselia, use Grass Knot!"

Roselia's eyes begin to glow green as it lets out a grunt of concentration, extending its arms upwards as it channels its Grass Type powers.

Lairon is not six feet away when the ground beneath him erupts; glowing green vines entangling themselves around his front legs. Roselia jumps out of the way as Lairon's momentum flips his heavy body over his head, smashing into the ground, sending even more dust into the air as he makes a visible dent in the hard rock beneath.

"Grass Knot!" Cleo guffaws, "It does more damage the heavier the opponent is!"

"Lairon is basically pure iron and rock, so he's got to be heavy!" Shay chimes in. The crowd go wild with excitement and awe, and Roxanne looks sick with worry. Jefferson rushes over to examine Lairon, who is still laying on his back, unmoving.

The cheers of the crowd die down, as everyone eagerly awaits to hear the referee's conclusion.

Wally strains to lean in closer to the field, as if his anticipation can affect the outcome.

Roxanne tugs on her skirt, visibly gloomy at her prospects.

"Lairon is unable to battle. Wally and his pokémon are the winners!"

The crowd erupt in cheers, all rivalries forgotten to the shared excitement of a great battle. Wally runs to Roselia, kneeling beside his victorious pokémon, congratulating it on a successful battle.

"You did great, Roselia," Wally beams. He unhooks the other pokéball from his belt and expands it, "You too, Kirlia. Both of you have really showed me that hard work pays off. I won't stop working hard either."

Roxanne withdraws her fainted Lairon and walks over to Wally, extending a hand.

"As much as it kills me to say this, you did well." She admits, refusing to make eye contact. Wally shakes her hand vigorously.

"Thank you, Roxanne!" Wally laughs, oblivious to her pained expression, "Your pokémon fought valiantly also."

Shay, unable to contain himself, hops over the barrier and onto the court. Panicking, Cleo and I follow, although we choose to run around the barrier instead of over it.

"Oh man you guys, that was so AMAZING!" He shouts as we catch up to him. Roxanne turns her nose up at her ex-boyfriend, but Shay doesn't seem to notice this.

"Jefferson," Roxanne calls. The spectacled boy comes rushing over, objects rustling with each step in his Bag. Roxanne looks at him expectantly, but the School Kid returns a blank stare. After a few awkward moments, a bulb lights in his head and he fumbles loudly in his Bag, finally producing a small brown case, emblazoned with the Pokémon Gym's logo.

"As per terms of a Gym Battle, I, Roxanne, award you, Wally, with the Stone Badge." Roxanne flips open the lid of the case, revealing a small brown badge, resembling two arrows pointed in opposite directions, attached by a rectangle in the middle.

Wally carefully removes the badge and stamps his feet in excitement, holding the badge above his head with a whoop of joy. The crowd cheer on the challenger, with words of congratulations from all the Trainers and smiles from Jefferson and the man from the entrance. Wally's moment of elation is cut short by a fit of coughing, but, oddly enough, Wally still manages to laugh in between coughs.

"So much dust from the battle, I'm not surprised," notes Cleo. I pat Wally on the back, chuckling alongside him.

"Get out of here, Wally, you're messing up my court," Roxanne teases. Wally straightens up and brushes himself off. He produces his black badge case from his pocket and carefully pins his newly acquired Stone Badge onto the cushioned interior alongside his other two Badges.

"Thanks, Roxanne," Wally smiles, "It's clear you worked hard to get to this position. Keep up the good work." His compliment makes Roxanne blush as she fights to contain a smile. The Gym Leader spins on her heel and begins to walk towards a door disguised by its rocky covering on the back wall. Wally begins to walk towards the door as the crowd disperses, and Cleo and I start to follow. Shay, however, turns back and catches up with Roxanne. I understand that what they're saying is personal, but I can't help but slow down and strain my ears to listen in on their conversation.

Shay taps Roxanne on the back, and she spins around so quickly I expect her to strike out. "Roxanne, I never actually got to see you battle as a Gym Leader before," Shay admits, causing the fire in her eyes to die down a little, "I can obviously see it means a lot to you."

"Thanks Shay," she says, obviously flustered, scratching her head, "Being a Gym Leader means everything to me, and I'm sorry that I couldn't give you the attention you deserved. Sometimes the pressure of managing this place can get a little intense."

"Nah, it's okay," Shay shrugs, "Once you're happy, that's all that matters."

I'm surprised at Shay. I had a feeling he still had a sweet spot for Roxanne, but I suspected his bravado would keep him from forgiving her. Roxanne seems regretful too. Obviously she's not the Rock hearted girl I'd been led to believe.

"I guess I'll see you around then." Roxanne says, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh definitely," Shay replies with a grin "I can't wait to battle you."

I catch up with Wally and Cleo so that Shay doesn't catch me listening, but Shay, as his usual oblivious self, catches up to us quickly at the door anyway, taking no notice of me. Wally turns around when we join up, smiling at our newly formed group.

"Come on, friends. Let's get out of this dusty old place."


End file.
